Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that security would not be restored in Iraq until US- led forces quit the country.

"The first step to solve the security issue in Iraq is the exit of the occupiers from this country and leaving the security issues to the people-based Iraqi government," Khamenei said during a meeting in Teheran with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

"Americans will absolutely not succeed in Iraq, and the continuation of Iraq's occupation is not a mouthful that Americans can swallow."

He put the blame for Iraq's insecurity on "some US agents in the region, who are mediators of these policies," and said that "inflaming the wave of insecurity and killings in Iraq will be very dangerous for the US agents and the region."

He also pledged that the Islamic republic would go to Iraq's assistance if requested. "If the Iraqi government asks, Iran will not refrain from any action to establish stability and security," he said.